LEAP into books!

Frogs are the "theme" next year at the Woodridge Elementary Library where my mother is Librarian! She is doing the job she was created to do I am convinced! Every year the library has a theme which is aptly decorated by her zealous library parents, she has developed monthly parent/child book clubs for girls and boys, and for the past decade, she has passed on her love of research, stories and READING to many many children... So my photos here are dedicated to my mom Linda...her passion for her work is an inspiration to me! Seeing all of these frogs here in the Philippines reminds me that "Readers are leaders!"

These are "swarming" tadpoles in the rice paddy...

Rice Terraces of Banaue

Last weekend our group undertook an 11 hour bus ride to the Northern portion of Luzon to visit the rice terraces of Banaue. These rice terraces are a UNESCO world heritage site... These terraces are over 2000 years old and if lined end to end, would extend more than half way around the globe! There was a lot of fog... but we were fortunate to have a clearing mid morning as we walked into some of the rural homesteads to interview farmers... The Ifugao people were once head hunters according to the Lonely Planet guide to the Philippines... Their houses traditionally are roofed with cogan grass (one of the most invasive weeds in North America and several other areas around the world!)... Now they use a lot more corrugated tin!

The houses are on stilts to keep rats out... You can actually stand up inside the house once you climb up the ladder!

Arrive in style

Pictured above are of some of my favorite forms of non-self propelled travel in the Philippines...The crazy mercedes is a Jeepney...Not sure what JHEFNLHEN means, but several in the Los Banos area where I've been staying have familiar names like, "Dessert Storm," "Keith," and "Jesus love you." There are actually 2 fire trucks on the IRRI campus... "Barbara" and "Kathleen"

The other photos are of the "trike"... which is really the combination of a dirt bike and side car... They hold a lot more people and things that you'd expect...